Sanford, Florida, a town near Orlando and Disney World, is not a place you would want to visit, particularly if you’re a minority. Racism is alive and well here.
On February 26, an unarmed black teenager – Trayvon Martin – was shot and killed by a self-appointed neighborhood “watch captain,” a white man, George Zimmerman, in a gated community. Trayvon was visiting his father, who lived in the community, and was returning from a convenience store where he’d bought some Skittles and an iced tea, and had taken refuge from the rain in one of the apartment buildings.
While walking through the community, Trayvon was talking to his girlfriend in Miami, and told her he was being followed. She told him to run, but Trayvon said he would just walk fast.
According to police dispatcher records, Zimmerman had called the police department because he considered the kid “suspicious.” In the transcripts of the 911 call, Zimmerman says, “This guy looks like he’s up to no good or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around looking about.” Oddly, the dispatcher asked if the kid was white, Hispanic or black.
Zimmerman replied that he looked black and the dispatcher asked if Zimmerman was following him. He said that he was and the dispatcher told him not to do that.
Meanwhile, Trayvon’s girlfriend, still on the phone with him, heard him say, “Why’re you following me?”
And a male asked, “What are you doing around here?”
Then the girlfriend thought she heard a scuffle, then gunshots.
The last call was at 7:12 p.m. Police arrived at 7:17 p.m. to find Trayvon lying face down on the ground. Zimmerman claims he shot Trayvon in self-defense. Zimmerman has still not been arrested.
This case didn’t attract national attention for at least three weeks, until one of the MSNBC broadcasters picked up on it. And suddenly, the story became huge. Now the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI are investigating and a grand jury will be convened by the state prosecutor to determine whether Zimmerman would face charges in the teenager’s death. The grand jury will be called into session on April 10.
Apparently Zimmerman had made 46 similar calls to the Sanford Police Department in the last 13 months. He had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and thanks to Florida’s horrid gun laws, his claim of self-defense may make it difficult to prosecute him.
Quoting from Bloomberg News: “Florida’s “Stand your Ground” law allows people to use deadly force — even before an unarmed person — provided they “reasonably believe” it’s necessary to defend themselves. It’s a shockingly low standard, but it’s not inconsistent with the highest law of the land.”
Meanwhile, a family has lost their son, racial tensions are running high in a community of 53,000, and Zimmerman, the white guy who shot the unarmed black kid, is still free.
If this had been a case of a black man shooting an unarmed white kid, the black guy would be in jail.
U.S. Representative Corrine Brown of Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, the district where the shooting occurred, spoke on NPR about it. She believes this was a hate crime and has serious questions about how the Sanford Police Department handled the whole thing.
Here we are in 2012, and this entire tragedy smacks of something from an era where the Klu Klux Klan skulked around in white sheets, burning crosses on people’s lawns, setting homes on fire in black neighborhoods, and hanging blacks just because they were black.
Fortunately, information now travels at the speed of light. A petition I received in an email this morning from change.org, urging local authorities to prosecute Zimmerman, now has more than half a million signatures. A group of protestors filled the lobby in the Florida governor’s office on Tuesday to deliver a letter seeking an independent investigation and a task force to study racial profiling.
Governor Scott came out to talk to them. “I will make sure justice prevails,” Scott said. “I’m very comfortable that (state law enforcement) is going to do the right thing. They’re not going to let somebody do something wrong and get away with it.”
Somehow, this statement does nothing for me. Governor Scott, before his foray into the governor’s mansion, was CEO of Colombia/HCA, one of the largest for profit private hospital chains. He was forced to resign as CEO when an FBI investigation turned up massive Medicare fraud. Colombia/HCA pled guilty to 14 felonies. In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA agreed to a $600 million + fine in the largest fraud settlement in US history.” In short, Governor Scott himself belongs in prison.
On a deeper level, these types of tragedies seem to be addressing the dark underbelly of life in America – racism, corporate greed, powerful gun lobbies, attacks on women’s health and on contraception, the rise of religious extremists. In short, it’s an archetype screaming for change.
I hate everything about this story….
Just saw this – https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/bill-lee-trayvon-martin_n_1373475.html
We live in a country where any bully, any mentally deranged person, any drug addict, any disturbed teenager, can purchase a weapon capable of killing not just one, but numerous people within seconds. And so the carnage goes on and on and on, as regular as weather. And whether Gabrielle Giffords career is over, or yet another collection of students lose their lives in school one day, or Michael Moore points it all out in a movie…….we all know that this isn’t going to change.
The gun laws in this country need to change, that’s for sure. Moore’s Bowling for Columbine should be required viewing in schools everywhere.
Here’s a similar death in Sydney this week involving a Brazilian student,a cop and a tazer gun death.I don’t know whether you could say it was a racist incident,or just a trigger happy cop,but the outcome here will be interesting also.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-21/brazil-condemns-student27s-sydney-taser-death/3902782
Everything is coming out of the dark and into the light of day. It is Revelation – nothing is going to save those that practice to deceive – as this man was doing with his gun. He was just aching to use it, and now he has ended a young man’s life. He deserves what he is going to get – because the public is going to demand it. It is time to stand up and be counted. It is time to demand justice, and it is time to rip the masks off the faces of those who for so long have managed to manipulate from the shadows.
Ditto times one million, Gyps. What else is there to say?
ok – of racism in general in this country – i cannot speak personally for others – only for what i have witnessed – racism is in fact and in deed rampant here – this horrific story is but ONE example of that – not a day goes by that i don’t see a pickup truck with a rebel flag blowing in the wind beside the gun rack on the rear window as if the civil war and/or the 50s-60s strife never happened – the kkk is alive and well in the south still with their white sheets hanging out the backs of their rusty pickup trucks – racial profiling by law enforcement is practiced every day in every way possible – political bumper stickers with wording to not “re-nig” referring to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES – and of other countries, not a single day passes that there is not at least one major news story involving racism of some sort –
there is absolutely NO DOUBT that were this perpetrator black and the victim white, the perp have been arrested immediately – all of the evidence thus far made public shows clearly that this was a stalked homicide by a man who carried a gun and who himself totally disregarded the admonition of law enforcement when told to stop following the victim – there are tapes of the perp speaking to 911 where he is preparing his “self-defense” groundwork by saying that this young man “has his hand in his pants” and that he “doesn’t know what he’s going to do” – an innuendo that the victim has a weapon – there is also the thing of the young victim being on the phone with his girlfriend just seconds before he is murdered – all compelling evidence – however, the groundwork for not arresting this man is also being put into place in the media, using the “reasonableness” theory under florida law – there is also the issue of his carrying a gun at all under the auspices of the neighborhood watch program which prohibits carrying a weapon – like cj, i am not at all optimistic that this gun-totin’ wanna-be john wayne will ever see the inside of a court house over this, let alone a jail cell – and that is such a horrific unspeakable travesty of justice as to defy belief – but it seems more probable than not to me –
and i must just add one more thing and that is in terms of the comment above that if racism were as big as people imagined the travel industry would be ruined and bankrupt – well, racism in this country and in many others is bigger than most people realize and/or are willing to admit – but i am lost as to any connection that has upon the worldwide industry of travel – be that as it may, however – this really does not anticipate nor require a response – i was merely thinking aloud here –
as for the family and loved ones of this innocent victim, one can only hope that they find the comfort they deserve somehow – and that this young man rests in peace – which can happen only with justice prevailing…
very well put together post, macgregors –
Darren, racism is a rampant, undisguised, contagious disease in the southern portion of America, and that raging racism extends to political figures, et al. The KKK is still very much alive and well. Regarding this child’s murder…and it was murder….several highly credible witnesses have stepped forward. These are very conscientious, sophisticated, obviously economically secure residents of the gated community. In their testimonies, which are now televised, all of them state unequivocably that the man was sitting on top of the boy’s back; the boy was being held face-down on the ground; the man had his legs and arms pinned beneath him. AND THIS MAN DARES TO SAY HIS LIFE WAS BEING THREATENED??????????? How could any person, especially a slightly-built youngster, lying face down on the ground with a heavy man on top of him in an inescapable hold, be a threat to the man? This is racism at its very worst, and must be addressed. This man must, MUST, be held accountable for committing such a heinous and unprovoked crime. Terrible, terrible situation. And I bet the man walks. Hopefully NOT. Regarding the karma, great question, as it’s my understanding that there are many souls who agree to such citcumstances as a means of being teachers and raising group consiousness in one way or another. In any event, blessings to his Spirit and to his family and loved ones. They deserve, at the very least, legal victory. It won’t bring back their child, but it might have an impact on racial issues. (Shades of the 1860s)
A guy with his gun. The gun laws in Florida have got to be changed.
amen!!!
If they arrest Zimmerman and charge him with the crime of killing this innocent CHILD there is no jury ANYWHERE (Southern or otherwise) that could possibly let him get away with it after hearing the tapes. You can clearly hear the boy screaming for help. I hope this guy rots.
This sort of addresses your remark the other night about weird stuff happening in Florida, Jen!
I was listening to my Lenny Kravitz’s songs all this week because I’ve got a ticket to see him play in Brisbane on Saturday and wanted to brush up on the lyrics,so I can sing along if I want to…and the crowd lets me,that is.-)
And I had forgotten about the song he wrote called “Mr.Cab Driver” about the cabbie that wouldn’t pick him up because of the dreds and/or his black skin;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq6rEPBN7aA
I couldn’t stop thinking wouldn’t it be funny if he was singing about my dad,as he was once a cab driver (not that my dad was racist,he had black,white and yellow friends…not something a racist would have,you would think) .
The irony would be my dad is of Jewish decent and so is Lenny’s father.
Beyond the colour of their skin they would both have Jewish blood in their veins.
To me that sums up the irony of racism…we all bleed red no matter what colour skin we have.
I don’t think racism’s as big as people think though.Sure it does exist…and in all races of the world,but it’s more fear based on stereotypes of races in general than on individuals of a particular race.
If racism was as big as people imagined the travel industry would be ruined and bankrupt.
Racism in certain pockets of the south is rampant. But that’s a good point about the travel industry!
Sorry Darren but I think there is still quite a bit of racism in the world, perhaps you are lucky in Australia. It’s not only the white races though – in parts of the UK there is friction between Asian and Black ethnic groups for example.
It concerns me that one day there could be big problems, hope and pray that I’m completely wrong.
With cases like this, I always wonder about the karmic implications. Does a soul choose to experience this kind of horrendous death to bring an issue into public consciousness?
Australia is just as racist as anywhere in the world Mike.
We aren’t immune from it by any means.
I did say in my comment above,
“it does exist…and in ALL races of the world” but
“I don’t think racism’s as big as people think though” .
So my question is how much is
“quite a bit of racism in the world” ?
I’ve had good friends who have told me to my face that they can’t stand Blacks and Jews.I’ve had others say Hitler was doing a job of eliminating the Jews.I’ve had a nice lady that I have known for years tell me at a lunch table that “all Jews are evil”,but when I asked her what about me? She said what do you mean? I said I’m Jewish,and she said “but you’re a good one though”(?)
The bottom line is these people are not really what I would call racist,they are just ignorant because they are just seeing stereotypes instead of real people.
In other words the fear is talking.I didn’t take offense at what these people said and we are still good friends.
If my skin was black or I was wearing a yarmulke they wouldn’t have said those words to me,but because they assume that I’m just another white guy,they tell me what’s on their mind without thinking it through.
And I’ve heard Jews talk just as badly about other races around me,to my embarrassment.
Unfortunately,while there is fear in the world,you will always have racism.
Incidences like this shooting just fan the flames a little more.
My experience though is that most people of different races get along quite well in the world.You couldn’t travel the world in relative safety like we do today if racism was such a big thing.
Sure racism exists,but on a positive note most of us get along quite well.
But ignorance is still racism, stereotypes or not. It’s also forms of racism that is a major cause of wars and the break up of countries.
I had what I thought was a great reply to your comment Mike,but I forgot to put a f#<%!#@ tick in the box and lost it after about half an hours effort.
So in quick summery,
fear and ignorance are by far more of a worry to the planet than racism…
and I hate WordPress !
The last part of the comment was an afterthought.-)